There was no immediate claim for the attack, which comes at a time of a sharp spike in violence between Turkey's security forces and rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, noted AP.

The attack also comes at a time when Turkey is taking a more active role against Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists. Just last month it conducted aerial strikes against ISIS positions in Syria and agreed to let the U.S.-led coalition use its bases for its fight against ISIS.

The move followed a suicide bombing blamed on ISIS which killed 32 people and after ISIS fired at Turkish soldiers from across the border in Syria, killing one soldier.

The deployment marked the first time since an international coalition began bombing ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria a year ago that American jets will launch strikes from Turkey, following an accord signed with Ankara late last month.